Apparatus for teaching morse code telegraphy



Feb. 8, 1966 J. L HARTLEY 3,233,344

APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MORSE CODE TELEGRAPHY Filed Feb. 6, 1964 was an 7 I N VENTOR.

James A. l/arf/qy A TTORNEY United States Pate O 3,233,344 APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MGRSE CODE TELEGRAPHY James 1.. Hartley, Seattle, Wash. (R0. Box 681, Mariposa, t'lallf. 95338) Filed Feb. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 342,893 7 Claims. ((Cl. 35-14) My invention relates to apparatus for teaching Morse code telegraphy.

An object of my invention is to provide a machine or device which will repeat, at timed intervals, Morse code characters to which the machine or device is set, said device producing the characters either visually or audibly, thereby enabling the person learning the character to become familiar with each character and imitate the character, as produced by the device by the use of a hand telegraph key which can be operated by the learner in the interval of time between two successive productions of the character by the device.

Another object is to provide a machine'or device for teaching Morse code telegraphy which has an adjustable code plate adapted to be quickly and easily set, at random, by the learner or by another person, to any selected character to test the learners knowledge or recognition of the character.

Another object is to provide a device for teaching Morse code telegraphy having in combination code plate supporting means and electric circuit closing devices and a thin fiat code plate of electrically insulating material, said code plate having therein sets of Morse code signal perforations, each set being marked with the character it represents so that said character, as marked on the code plate, is clearly visible to the learner while it is being produced in code by the device, thus helping the learner by causing him to associate the coded character being produced by the machine with the visual image of the character on the code plate, and said sets of perforations being arranged in a compact and advantageous manner on the code plate for cooperation with the circuit closing devices so that the Morse code signal represented by any selected set of perforations in the code plate can be repeated any desired number of times at sufliciently spaced apart intervals to allow a learner to practice the signal between successive repetitions of said signal.

Another object is to provide a machine or device of this nature in which the code plate is quickly and easily adjustable to different signalling positions without entirely removing it from the device.

Other objects are to provide a machine or device for teaching Morse code telegraphy which is simple and durable in construction, not expensive to manufacture, and one which makes it easy for a person to learn the Morse code without other assistance.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a view in front elevation of a device embodying my invention as it may appear when in use.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of said device with parts broken away and with a hinged panel which carries a contact plate moved to an open position and a code plate removed.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary inverted sectional view taken substantially on broken line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the device with the back cover member open to reveal the driving mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a detached elevational view, on a larger scale than FIGS. 1 to 4, showing a fragment of a perforated code plate.

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram illustrative of electrical devices.

3,233,344 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation showing a perforated code plate of modified form.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

My Morse code signaling device comprises a housing 19, which serves as a frame and receptacle for some of the operating mechanism, and has one fiat side or wall which serves as a platen or mounting plate for some of the mechanism and is herein termed a platen wall 11.

The platen wall 11 has an approximately centrally positioned rigid stud pin 12 projecting outwardly therefrom. Also said platen wall 11 has a circular concave recess 13 provided in it at one side of the stud pin 12. A driven shaft 14 extends from within the housing 10 through a part 11 of the platen wall 11, said part 11 forming the bottom of the recess 13. The shaft 14 has preferably two contact arms 15 and 16 secured to it and extending outwardly from it, said contact arms being rotatable within the recess 13 by driving said shaft 14. T he contact arms 15 and 16 are preferably formed of thin fiat resilient metal and said arms terminate respectively in contact shoes or fingers 15 and 16 of suitable size and shape for electrical contact purposes, as hereinafter explained.

The portion of the shaft 14 within the housing 10 is connected with any suitable driving means for driving it at slow speed. The driving means, of speed reduction type, herein disclosed by way of illustration comprises frame means 17 within which the shaft 14 is journaled, a worm wheel 18 rigidly attached to said shaft 14, a worm 20 secured to a countershaft 21 and meshing with the worm wheel 18, a relatively large grooved pulley 22 secured to said countershaft 21, and a belt connecting the large pulley 22 with a smaller grooved pulley 24 on the shaft 25 of an electric motor 26. Obviously a motor of different type, such as a spring motor, can be used. Frame 17 can be secured to platen wall 11 by screws 19. Obviously pulleys 22 and 24 can be of a multiple-stepped type to provide for changing the gear ratio between motor shaft 25 and countershaft 21 by shifting the belt 23 from one set of pulleys to another. Preferably a hinged door 9 is provided as a'closure means for the rear side of housing 16. v

A panel 27 is connected by hinge means 28 with an edge portion of the platen wall 11 and is swingingly movable between a position in which it is parallel with and close to said platen wall 11 and overlies and covers the recess 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and a position in Whichit is clear of and away from the platen wall 11 and recess 13, such as the position in which it is shown in FIG. 2. The panel 27 carries an arcuate contact plate 3tlwhich is flush with the inner surface of the panel and, when the panel 27 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, is parallel with the platen wall 11 and close to the circular recess 13 and coincides with the path of movement of the two contact shoes 15' and 16. The end portion of the panel 27 remote from the hinge 28 has a perforation 31 which is adapted to fit over the stud pin 12 and a latch member 32 is provided on the outer side of the panel 27 to engage with the pin 12 and hold the panel in the closed position in which it is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A spring 29 yieldingly holds the latch member 32 in engagement with the pin 12.

A thin flat perforated code plate 33, formed of insulating material, such as plastic, is removably supported against the platen wall 11 with a portion of said code plate disposed between the panel 27 and the contact arms 15 and 16. I prefer to make the code plate 33 of disc shape as shown in F165. 1 and 5, but it will be understood that the shape of said code plate 33 can be varied. Said code plate 33 is provided with a centrally disposed perforation 35 which is adapted to fit over the stud pin 12.

Also said code plate 33 is provided, adjacent its periphery, with a plurality of spaced apart index perforations 36 arranged in a circular path and adapted to fit over an index pin 37 which protrudes from the face of the platen wall 11. Also said code plate 33 is provided with a plurality of sets of code perforations, five of which sets, 33, 39, 40, 41 and 42, are shown in PEG. 5. The several perforations of each set of code perforations are spaced apart and the perforations of each set are arranged in a circular path the radius of which is equal to the distance of the contact shoes 15' and 16' from the center of the shaft 14. The center perforation 35 and index perforations 36 in the code plate 33 cooperate with the center pin 12 and index pin 37 on the platen wall to always position the code plate 33 so that one set of code perforations therein coincides with the path of movement of the contact shoes 15 and 16'. The code perforations of each set are of suitable size and shape to provide for either a shorter or a longer period of electrical contact of shoes 15 and 16' with contact plate 30 as said shoes pass over the successive perforations of the set. Thus long and short signals of dot and dash type are provided.

The code plate 33 can be quickly and easily adjusted to change the code signal, without taking said code plate off of the center pin 12, by opening the hinged panel 2'7 and rotatively moving said code plate 33 about the pin 12 to a new position in which the index perforation 36 of the chosen signal can be fitted over the index pin 37. The previously described arrangement of the sets of code perforations in the code plate 33 is advantageous in that it makes possible a device of simple construction and makes it possible to get an entire alphabet of Morse code signal perforations in a single fiat code plate which is not objectionably large in size.

The signals controlled by the circuit closing means can be visual, as by the energizing of a lamp 44, FIGS. 1 and 6, or audible, as by the energizing of a tone oscil lator 45, FIG. 6. In said F16 6 energy from circuit wires 46, controlled by switch 47, is supplied to motor 26 and i to a step down transformer 48. One low voltage terminal of the transformer 48 is connected by a conductor 49 with the shaft 14 which carries the contact arms 15 and 16. The other low voltage terminal of the transformer 48 is connected by a conductor 50 with the lamp 44. Preferably the lamp 44 is mounted on the platen wall 11 where it is clearly visible. A two way switch 51 has one terminal connected by a conductor 53, through one of a pair of binding posts 6% on the housing 10, with one terminal of the tone oscillator 45. The other terminal of the tone oscillator 45 is connected by a conductor 61, through the other binding post of the pair 6% with the conductor 49, which is in turn, connected by conductor 7 with a hand operated telegraph key 55. Control of oscillator 45 is had through conductors 53 and 61 but preferably independent circuit wires 62 are used to supply current to said oscillator 45. The third terminal of the switch 51 is connected by a conductor 54 with the contact plate 30. The hand operated telegraph key 55 is connected by the conductors 56 and 57 with the conductors 54 and 49 so that said key 55 can be used to close a circuit to either the lamp 44 or the tone oscillator 45. Thus, depending on the setting of switch 51, a learner can practice a code signal during the interval of time between repetitions of said signal by the machine. Preferably a jack 63 in the housing is used in making connection between the telegraph key 55 and the circuits just described.

In the use of this device the code plate 33 is angularly adjusted between the platen wall 11 and the hinged panel 27 so that the index perforation 35 of a selected code character fits over the index pin 37. Then when the motor 26 is energized the contact arms 1.5 and 16 will be rocharacter will be given each time a contact shoe or 16' passes over the perforations of the set which registers with the contact member 30. Obviously the coded letters or characters do not need to be in sequence in the code plate 33. If for instance, the index perforation 36 marked with the latter A is positioned over the index pin 37, then the set of code perforations numbered 39, FIG. 5, will be properly aligned for use and movement over said perforations 39 of each contact shoe 15 and 16, in the direction indicated by arrow X, FIG. 2, will produce a short and a long illumination of the lamp 44. It will be noted that some of the sets of code perforations in code plate 33 are omitted in FIG. 1.

An advantage of my device is that the letter or character which is being produced in code by the machine is clearly marked on the code plate 33 and readily visible to the learner. Thus, if the machine is set for the letter A, as shown in FIG. 1, said letter A will be visible immediately below the panel 27 and the learner associates the coded image or sound produced by the machine with the visual image he sees on the code plate. 7

FIG. 7 shows a code plate 33a of strip form which can be used instead of the disc shaped code plate 33. The code plate 33a has spaced apart aligned index perforations 36a and has sets, such as 39a and 40a, of code perforations similar to the index perforations 36 and code perforations 39 and 40, shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, except that they are disposed in general alignment lengthwise of said code plate 33a. The code plate 33a is used on a platen wall Ila similar to the platen wall 11, except that it is provided with any suitable guide means, such as a thin flat strip 64 having a straight edge 65 against which the code plate 33a may be placed, to help insure proper positioning of said code plate 33a when one of the index holes 36a therein is fitted over an index pin Fa. Each set of code perforations, such as 39a and 40a, is arranged so it will register with the path of travel of the contact shoes 15' and 16' when the index perforation marked to correspond therewith is on the index pin 37a. The code strip 33a operates in substantially the same manner as the code plate 33, shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5.

Obviously changes in my device may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims.

, of code perforations, each set representing a Morse code character and each set being adapted to be positioned in the path of movement of said contact 'shoe't'hereby providing for electrical contact of said contact shoe with said contact plate through each perforation of each set each time said shoe passes across said contact plate.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the contact plate is carried by a panel member which is swingingly movable toward and away from the path of movement of said contact shoe.

3. A device for producing Morse code telegraphic signals, comprising frame means including a flat platen wall; a driven shaft extending through said platen wall; a transverse contact arm carried by said shaft and positioned parallel with and close to said platen wall; a contact shoe carried by said contact arm and movable therewith in acircular path; a panel mounted on said platen wall for movement toward and away from said contact arm; a contact member carried by the side of said panel adjacent said contact arm and positioned to register wi l: the path of movement of said contact shoe when the panel is close to the platen wall; a thin flat code plate of insulating material adapted to be positioned between said panel and said contact arm; a plurality of sets of aligned code perforations in said plate, each set of code perforations representing a Morse code character; and code plate positioning means adjustably positioning said code plate in predetermined fixed positions between said platen wall and said panel, whereby a chosen set of code perforations therein can be disposed in the path of movement of said contact shoe and the code signal provided by said chosen set repeated at spaced intervals of time.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which electric circuit means is provided connecting said contact arm and said contact member with a source of electrical energy and a signaling device.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the code plate positioning means includes an index pin protruding from the platen wall and an index perforation in the code plate in predetermined relation to each set of code perforations, each index perforation being capable of fitting over said index pin and when fitted over said indexing pin cooperaing in positioning said code plate so that the set of code perforations therein which is in predetermined relation to said index perforation is in the path of movement of said contact shoe.

6. A device for producing Morse code telegraphic signals comprising a housing having a flat side forming a platen wall; a medially positioned stud pin protruding outwardly from said platen wall; a concave recess in said platen wall close to and at one side of said stud pin; a shaft mounted within said housing and extending through said platen wall into said recess; contact arm means carried by said shaft and rotatable within said recess and having at least one contact shoe movable in a circular path by rotation of said arm; driving means disposed within said housing and connected with said shaft; a panel hinged to said housing at one side of said recess for movement between a retracted position and a position in which it is parallel with and overiies and is close to said contact arm; an arcuate contact member carried by the side of said panel adjacent to said contact arm and positioned coincident with the path of movement of said contact shoe when the panel is parallel with and close to the contact arm; a fixed index pin protruding from said platen wall adjacent said concave recess; a disc shaped code plate of insulating material positioned between said panel and said contact arm and having a centrally positioned perforation fitting over said stud pin; a plurality of spaced apart index perforations in the peripheral portion of said code plate disposed in a circular path and positioned to fit over said index pin, said index perforations positioning said code plate and providing for stepped rotative adjustment of said code plate on said stud pin; a plurality of spaced apart sets of code perforations in the peripheral portion of said code plate, the code perforations of each set being spaced apart and being arranged in a curved path which extends from near the periphery in a generally inward direction toward the center of said code plate.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which electric circuit means is provided connecting said contact arm and said contact member in circuit with a source of electrical energy and a signaling device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,947,090 8/1960 Levin et al --14 2,954,437 9/1960 Riggle l78-ll5 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR REPEATEDLY PRODUCING A MORSE CODE TELEGRAPH SIGNAL, A ROTATIVELY DRIVEN CONTACT ARM HAVING THEREON A CONTACT SHOE MOVABLE IN A CIRCULAR PATH BY ROTATION OF SAID ARM; A CONTACT PLATE SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACT SHOE AND POSITIONED SO THAT SAID SHOE WILL BE MOVED ACROSS SAID CONTACT PLATE AT EACH REVOLUTION OF SAID CONTACT ARM; AND A THIN FLAT CODE PLATE OF INSULATING MATERIAL POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID CONTACT PLATE AND SAID CONTACT ARM AND HAVING THEREIN SETS OF CODE PERFORATIONS, EACH SET REPRESENTING A MORSE CODE CHARACTER AND EACH SET BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACT SHOE THEREBY PROVIDING FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACT OF SAID CONTACT SHOE WITH SAID CONTACT PLATE THROUGH EACH PERFORATION OF EACH SET EACH TIME SAID SHOE PASSES ACROSS SAID CONTACT PLATE. 